Volunteers of America Executive Development Program

Need:

Many nonprofit caregivers have strong program skills but lack formal business education.

Program Goal:

To provide leadership development for emerging leaders from hundreds of diverse human service programs that VOA provides across the nation.

Program Design and Format:

The University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with Volunteers of America, offers an executive development certificate program that incorporates important facets of formal education, mentorship, executive coaching, peer exchange, and personal leadership assessment. Topics include the following:

Leadership

Innovation

Accounting

Strategic Planning

Creating a Philanthropic Culture

Caring for nonprofit caregivers

Crafting your own lifelong financial plan

Understanding vital organizations

Creating work that is meaningful, fulfilling, and inspirational

Developing and sustaining inspired performance

Averting burnout

FUTURE PLANS:

Since that first week of Executive Development Program (EDP) course work, Volunteers of America has partnered with Notre Dame to provide a second week of on-campus modules for the program. This second week was not in the original design for the EDP, but was highly requested from both participants and their supervisors due to the positive results seen after the first week on campus. As well, Volunteers of America has sent two of its employees to the MNA program, several Mendoza College leaders have been invited to speak at Volunteers of America functions, and a separate curriculum has been created by Notre Dame to be utilized by Volunteers of America health professionals.